It's the Great Pumpkin, MacGyver
by poxelda
Summary: A light fluff Holloween story. No warnings. One shot, a hint of angst.
1. Chapter 1

Mac yawned as he closed the door behind him. Two grocery bags crinkled in his arms as he aimed for the kitchen table.

"Helooo? Anyone home?" Mac slid out of his jacket. He could see the flickering light from the firepit and could hear soft murmuring outside. Mac glanced around the kitchen and grinned. He pulled out three bags of candy and stepped on a chair putting them in a secret back to the cuboard over the refrigerator. Mac glanced over his shoulders relieved no one saw his secret stashing place. He closed the door and jumped down. The rest of the bags, all containing candy he put in the fridge. He put the plastic bags in the recycling bin then grabbed a beer heading out to the deck. Holloween was three days away. Mac had learned from bitter experience no matter how much candy he bought or set aside, it would be gone by Beggar's night. Two years ago, Mac had built the secret stash and managed to save candy for the trick or treaters.

"...we can go...shush." Mac raised an eyebrow as he stepped out onto the deck. Riley, Jack and Bozer were huddled close mumuring to each other. The second they saw him they shushed each other and scrambled to pull apart and sit back as if they were relaxed and hadn't been in on some sort of conspiracy. Mac chuckled and sat beside the fire opening his beer.

It was a beautiful night. The sky above gleamed like a bright saphire with stars as glitter. The city looked magical and familiar shining like a mirage. Mac sighed and stared into the fire feeling himself unwind. He watched the others out of the corner of his eye. They glanced at each other and squirmed wondering how much he'd overheard. Mac smiled around the mouth of the bottle letting them wonder a long minute. He leaned back and eyed the trio. If they could look any more deer in the headlight's startled Mac would love to see it.

"So, guys, what's up?"

"Oh nothing." Jack said immediatly. Riley nodded.

"That's right nothing going on, just hanging out." She added.

"So did you get the candy?" Bozer asked. Bozer rubbed his hands together like a hungry squirrel. Mac rolled his eyes. He denied it every year, but Mac was pretty sure he knew who the biggest candyvore in their odd family was.

"Yeah, it's in the kitchen." Mac indicated with a thumb over his shoulder. Bozer's eyes gleamed and Mac could read his roomie trying to come up with some reason to run in and open the goodies. Mac eyed the trio. They shifted and glanced at each other under his gaze. Mac leaned forward.

"Alright, out with it."

"What?"

"We aren…"

"I don…" Mac sighed and held up his hand.

"You know what, I don't even care. Keep doing what your doing." Mac stood up and went in to the living room. He finished his been and yawned. Somehow everyone keeping something from him really bothered him. Mac set the beer in the recycle then climbed to the attic. Tommorrow everyone would be over to decorate. Mac grinned as he pulled out the decorations. He coughed and waved off the dust. Mac loved holidays. All of the people he loved came together and they all got their inner kid on, it was awesome. Every year they tried to out do the last.

Mac pulled out his favorite decoration. It was a skeleton he'd made out of plaster and talcum molded from real bones. He checked all the joints and frowned, the hips needed new wires and the swivel on the neck needed oil. Mac gathered up Bones, Bozer's name for him, and hauled him downstairs. Mac frowned the others were still gathered around the fire pit. Mac frowned. He'd been an outsider most of his life. He was used to people not understanding how his brain worked. Mac shook his head knowing he was being stupid. They were his family, they wouldn't ostracize him. He carried Bones out to the garage and lost himself in repairs.

As he changed the swivel joint he noticed a crack appear in Bone's lower skull. Mac frowned then used glue to seal it up mixing in chalk dust to blend in the texture. Mac left the skull gently fixed in a vice clamp and wiped his forehead. He glanced at the watch. Mac's eyes widened. He'd been in the garage two hours! He frowned. Why hadn't anyone come to get him?

Mac went upstairs. Everything was quiet. The fire was out and no one else was there. Mac even checked in Bozer's room. No Bozer. Mac's heart picked up tempo. Where were they? How long had they been gone? And in the 10 year old voice he wished would shut up, why did they leave him behind? Mac shook his head and told himself he was being stupid. His friends didn't have to answer to him. They had their own crap going on that's fine, he was a big boy now.

Mac couldn't deny the lump of abandonment he tried to swallow. Mac decided he needed to do something to keep busy. He hauled down the decorations and began hanging them. Mac lost himself to ideas as they flared. He grinned as he set a trap for anyone who walked under a giant screaming spider. Mac yawned again glancing at the clock. He frowned. Dawn would be in another hour. He looked over the house. Everything was perfect except the pumkins.

Mac picked out three and started to carve. He lost himself in his designs. One he made for Jack. It had the bat signal overlayed with the names of all the Hair bands Mac could think of. The next one he made for Bozer. He carved a fairly intricate picture of Freddy and Jason about to go at each other with chainsaws. Mac smiled wiping pulp off his hands. He wasn't the artist like Bozer was, but the most complicated thing to carve was the chainsaws and Mac knew chainsaws. Mac stared at the last one. He bit his lip a minute thinking about Riley. He didn't know her as well as the guys. Mac grinned. He drew a silhouette of a woman, or at least a figure he hoped looked like a woman, singing into a microphone. He put in stars and "Beyonce" in a banner over head. Mac smiled and wiped his cheek. He frowned realizing he'd only smeared on pumpkin guts. Mac cleaned and lit candles inside the pumpkins. He turned off the lights and smiled. They weren't perfect, but they'd come out pretty damn cool.

Mac looked at his watch and frowned. He glanced out the window. The only car missing was Bozer's. Mac figured that meant the missing trio planned on coming here after...whatever the hell they were doing. The city outside was sillhouetted by a bright orange-pink sunrise. Mac felt worry knot in his gut. Where were they? Were they ok? If he'd known computers as well as Riley he would have tracked their phones. Mac shook his head. He was driving himself crazy. Mac changed into shorts and a T and hit the road for a run. Mac felt his body warm and stretch as he fell into a fluid rhythm. Mac could feel his worry and insecurities fall away. He lost himself in the runner's high. He returned after running ten miles. He slowed to walking the last half mile. Mac took slow breaths and wiped sweat off his forehead. He sighed in relief as he saw the missing trio standing outside on the front lawn. Mac almost called to them but they were laughing and gesturing. Mac frowned again feeling as if he didn't belong.

"I can't believe that!" Jack was gushing. His face was red and his eyes round

Saucers. "I mean did you see…!" They trailed off as Mac walked up to him. Immediatly they were quiet and looking everywhere but at him. Mac frowned telling himself he didn't feel hurt, not really.

"Hey guys." He said calmly. None of them met his gaze. Mac nodded and walked past them. Tears pricked at his eyes as he went into the shower. With the water rolling down his hair and face Mac closed his eyes and told him he wasn't crying, not really. So his friends had gone somewhere and did something without him that they couldn't let him in on. That didn't mean anything, right? Mac yawned. At least they were home safe. Mac focused on the relief he felt, and the exhaustion. He dried off and stepped out throwing his clothes in the hamper. He was about to walk to the living room when he heard the others come in.

"What the…Will you look at this?" Jack said surprise and wonder in his voice.

"Look, it's Beyonce!" Mac could hear the happiness and excitment in her

Voice.

"That is too...YEAHH!" Bozer screamed as the spider fell. Mac smiled. He'd hoped they'd like it all and was glad they did. The heavy stabbing in his gut got worse.

"Hey, Mac?" Jack yelled. Mac shook his head. He was too tired to deal with their excitement. Mac turned into his bedroom shut the door and climbed into bed.

"Yo, Mac?"Jack called again. He frowned when the kid didn't come out after his shower. He turned to Bozer and Riley. "What's up with him?" Riley shrugged.

"Probably tired," Bozer said around a yawn. "Look at all this, I can't believe he did it all by himself." Jack frowned. His MacGyver instinct was tingling.

"Why did he? I thought we were all going to do it tonight?" Riley shrugged and yawned.

"I don't know, I am too tired to think. I'm gonna go to sleep." Bozer looked at her and shuddered.

"How can you think of sleep after all that crazyness?" Jack put a hand on Bozer's shoulder. Bozer jumped and went a shade pale.

"Easy Bozer, it was all your imagination, dude."

"Really? Then why did you scream when that door closed on itself? And what Miss Davis, the 'something's touching me.' doesn't ring a bell?" The three of them were silent a minute their eyes wide and they glanced around the room unable to help themselves. "So do you believe me now? Ghosts are real, you saw the evidence for yourself." Bozer finished crossing his arms. Riley rolled her eyes and put her hand on Jack's arm.

"I'm not sure what to believe, Jack take me home?" Jack looked down the hall at Mac's closed door with a frown then nodded.

"Yeah, Ri let's go." Jack dropped Riley off and headed home. He yawned. If he was honest with himself he'd admit spending the night in a 'murder house' had freaked the crap out of him. Bozer was right they had seen and felt things that couldn't be explained. The ghost hunters or busters or whatever that they went with had brought the latest in tech and caught some stuff that sent goose bumps up his arm. He shivered in the warm morning. Jack sighed in relief happy to be home.

He liked his ghosts to be calm family, not folks pissed off they were murdered and were now dead. Jack took a quuick shower and climbed into bed. He relaxed and breathed out. He wasn't sure when the familiar curves of his own bed felt better. He closed his eyes ready to drift off. Jack opened his eyes and sat up.

"I am such an idiot." Jack said looking at the ceiling shaking his head. How could he not see it before? Sometimes his best friend the genius is an idiot. Jack sighed and crawled out of bed getting dressed again. He rubbed his eyes and stopped to get donuts and coffee, Mac's favorites.

The house was quiet when Jack let himself in. He stowed the donuts on the table and shook his head. Half the candy Mac had bought had been mauled and torn leaving only shining foil husks. Bozer's going to have himself a hell of a belly ache. Jack silently crept down the hall to Mac's door. He paused listening. Hearing nothing Jack hesitated. What if Mac was just asleep? His gut knew something was off. He knocked gently and wasn't surprised to get no response. Jack opened the door.

Mac sat up on the bed looking out the window his back to Jack. Jack could almost see each vertebrae raise to attention laying down piles of armor as they went.

"Hey." Jack said. Mac didn't say anything. "I saw all the decorations up, I thought we were going to do them all tonight." Mac shrugged but still didn't say anything. Jack frowned. Mac was bothered more than he'd thought. Evidently the three of them had accidently triggered an old wound. Jack came in and perched on the side of the bed facing Mac's back.

"Are you ok, bud?"

"Yeah, just tired." Mac did sound tired, but there was a note of strain Jack didn't like. Jack reached over and put a hand on Mac's shoulder. His eyes widened in surprise. Mac flinched and stood up stepping away. Mac glanced at Jack and Jack swore the kid looked like he'd been crying. Jack stood up alarmed. Mac pushed past him avoiding Jack's gaze.

With his mile-eating stride, Mac was already on the deck leaning on the railing before Jack took two steps. Jack paused gathering his thoughts. As brilliant as Mac is, sometimes that 10-year old peeps out in the oddest ways. In a million years, Jack would never think that the three of them sleeping in a real haunted house would trigger Mac's abandonment. The more he thought about it, the more he kicked himself for being the real idiot. What would the kid think when the others shut him out without explanation? But how can you explain that Mac wasn't invited because he'd kill the fun? Whenever they watched or talked about paranormal anything Mac always calmly and scientifically explained everything away.

On some level, Bozer, Jack and Riley wanted it to be real, wanted to be frightened-not that Jack had been of course. Jack sighed and ran his hand through his short fuzz of hair. The three of them had never taken into account how Mac would feel being left out of the loop so completly. Jack eyed the decorations and felt a pain in his heart. Mac loved the holidays so much because they all came together as a family and in a way he could be a kid again. Jack railed at himself as he saw the pumkins. Mac as always thought of others first, even while the others didn't give him a thought. Jack took a deep breath bracing for the emotional minefield. He leaned next to Mac and glanced over. Mac's jaw was flinching and he studiously avoided looking at the older man.

"Nice day."

"Yeah." Jack sighed. The kid wasn't going to make this easy was he?

"You know you didn't have to put up all the decorations we were all up for that tonight." Mac shot Jack a cold glare that vanished as quickly as it came.

"It doesn't matter." There was a fatalism in Mac's voice that hurt like a gunshot. Mac went to walk past Jack. Jack caught his arm and spun Mac to face him. Jack's eyebrows raised when he saw Mac's eyes sparkle with unshed tears.

"Oh kid." Jack breathed out realizing the depth to which they'd screwed up. Mac pulled his arm free and turned away rubbing his face. "Mac, look we went…" Mac spun.

"It's fine, Jack. It doesn't matter, ok? I saw donuts, did you get the chocolate filled…" Mac went to walk back inside. Jack grabbed Mac again and spun him back to face him.

"Look we went to go ghost hunting at a murder house last night, it's not a big deal." Mac looked at Jack his eyes a mixture of anger and sadness.

"Then why didn't you just tell me?" Jack sighed and let Mac's arm go. Mac crossed his arms and waited.

"We...we didn't think you'd like it. You always poke holes in all the fake sciency stuff they do…" Glancing at Mac, Jack was alarmed to see the anger fade to a resigned sadness. Mac smiled and nodded.

"You didn't me to ruin your good time. That's ok, I get it. I was worried, that's all." Jack huffed as Mac turned away his shoulders slumped. In Mac's mind, Jack had just reinforced every word a bully every shouted at him. Stupid geniuses. Jack rubbed his face wondering what the hell to do now.

Mac wanted to curl up and bawl. He really didn't know why and thought he was being an overly dramatic child. It stung that the others had a valid point. What passed for paranormal investigation got under his skin, he couldn't help pointing out the truth and debunking the pseudo science. Mac gritted his teeth. In his mind he saw himself again in school trying to explain some of what rattled through his brain but no one understood, he would make it simpler and then everyone thought he was looking down on them. Mac wondered back into his room and sat on the bed leaning his head in his hands. He never meant to show off or grandstand, it just came off that way. Mac knew that and over the years has gotten better at reading the room, as Bozer called it. Evidently he still had room to improve. Mac looked up as Jack leaned on the doorframe munching on a donut. He held out the box. Mac smiled finding a chocolate with sprinkles. He sat on the edge of his bed.

"These are still warm." Mac said smiling at Jack. Jack chuckled pulled out a glazed and sat beside Mac munching on his. They ate both lost in their own thoughts. Mac waved off a second one, Jack tore into an apple cinnamon crueller.

"So did you see anything?" Mac asked looking over at Jack. Jack froze in midbite. After he swallowed it Jack flew into the story of the night. They'd seen a door open and close on its own, heard knocks and felt things. Jack told about Riley being freaked out feeling someone breathing down her neck. Mentally Mac explained away each as Jack discribed it, he kept his mouth shut. Finally Jack wound down and sat back shaking his head.

"I have to confess, bro. I just about dirtied my drawers." Jack finished. Mac smiled and nodded. He was quiet not quite knowing what to say. Jack studied him. He sat up and put a hand on Mac's forearm.

"You know we never meant to leave you out or make you feel like we didn't want you there…" Mac held up a hand.

"Jack, it's fine. I was just being a little sensitive. I get it, I do." Jack frowned. Mac could see his friend's brain ticking over about something. "What?"

"Well, we have two days until the sprouts come by, the decorations are all up, what the hell are we going to do tonight?" Mac thought a minute then grinned. Jack felt a sinking in his stomach.

"Well, if you really want to experience hunting real ghosts, why don't we go to the Queen Mary?" Mac suggested. Jack felt his heart pound in fear.

"Dude, do you know how haunted that place is?" Mac's mouth quirked into a smile and his eyes were lit by a mischievious dare. Jack straightened.

"Ok, alright. If that's what you want, we can do that. Don't blame me if you get the crap scared out of you." Jack stood up and grabbed his donuts. His stomach churned at the idea of going in one of the most haunted places in America. Jack had been lucky to make it through the murder house with dry underwear.

"Great! We can meet up back here then go?"

"Sounds great!"

"Great." Jack smiled and almost ran out of Mac's house. Mac watched him go laughing. The smart guy doesn't know how to have fun? Mac thought about the chemicals he had around the house and what he could round up. He picked up his keys and headed out mentally making a list of everything he could use to make the night unforgettable. His friends wanted paranormal? Mac felt morally obligated to give it to them. Mac snickered. And he was definitly going to give it to them.


	2. Chapter 2

******I was going to leave this as it was with only one chapter, but I realized that I wanted to see what Mac had up his sleeve too, so here is the investigation…**

 **Queen Mary Hotel**

 **Long Beach, CA**

 **8:00pm**

Jack looked up at the giant hulk of the Queen Mary looming over them. Even well lit, the shadows were creepy. The line of row boats looked like hunched gargoyles waitiing to pounce on them. Jack shuddered. Leaning on the rail of the wide canopied gang plank, Jack closed his eyes enjoying the salty smell and soothing sigh of the ocean. Jack frowned sure that he heard a soft whisper on the stronger wind between the side of the ship and the tide-break wall.

"It's cold." Riley said her arms across her chest.

"It's the compression of the wind and the coolness of the stones that are in the shadow of the ship…" Mac began.

"MAC!" The other three chorused. Mac rolled his eyes and threw up his hands.

"Right, sorry. My bad." Jack smiled at the kicked-puppy look on his partner's face. They had discovered there was an overnight paranormal investigation they could join, so the quarted decided to stay overnight in the plush hotel. The others had made Mac swear that he wouldn't say a single sciency thing all night. Bozer, Riley and Jack all bet him $20.00 he couldn't do it. He would have blown it already if they hadn't agreed the bet started when they hit their cabins.

Jack and Bozer went to the front desk. Mac and Riley stood with the over night bags taking in the ship. Mac smiled. He knew the Queen Mary was haunted, but not in the comercialized way his friends thought. The ship was the last superliner of the golden age of transaltlantic travel. Built in the 1930's it was made by the same designer as the Titanic and Lusitania. Mac closed in the smell of history that peeked out from the highly polished wood and brass and softly walked the clam-shell decorated carpet.

The front desk was on M deck where celebrities from around the globe stayed. Everyone from Winston Churchill to Elvis had lounged in the bustling lobby.

"You're enjoying this." Riley said amused. Mac smiled at her and shrugged.

"The history this ship had seen…" Mac shook his head. He could almost see the 16,000 or more soldiers the Mary had brought from countries scattered around the world to the eastern theater during WWII. Mac ached with the need to share what he knew about the ship in her glory to Riley so she could appreciate the truly amazing things about the ship, not the gutted tourist trap it'd been made into. Mac bit his tongue not trusting his friends to know the difference between his science rant and historical awe. Mac sighed.

Their cabins were a deck below M deck, but still in first class or would have been if there were still the divisions between the different levels anymore. Because they booked so late they were only able to get two double cabins on opposite ends of the long narrow corridor.

Jack was torn between wanting to stay with Mac because he thought the blonde was still upset and staying with Riley not trusting her with the guys. Jack knew it was ridiculous. They not only were family who he would trust with his life, but they had stayed in many cramped co-ed quaters before. Riley made the unusual decision to stay in a cabin with Mac. Mac had raised an eyebrow in surprise and blushed a shade. He'd expected to be with Bozer or Jack. Mac shrugged it off, but didn't miss Jack's narrowing eyes as they bounced between him and Riley completly off balance. Mac chuckled suspecting that was the effect Riley was going for.

Mac did not point out the obvious, that they wouldn't be in their cabins more than a couple of hours anyway. Mac smiled to himself. Actually it would make his plans much easier.

They had a late supper at a sea food restaurant that was surprisingly kitchzy and had barely passable greasy food. Back in the day only the top chefs in the world worked the kitchens of the Queen Mary.

"So who are we meeting?" Mac asked taking a sip of apple cider. Bozer looked up from his tripple layer fudge cake. Mac had no idea how the man hadn't gotted sick from all the sweets he'd eaten.

"There's three world-rated paranormal specialists, Mark Cohen, Bruce Fulson and Diana Wilding. They got state of the art equipment. This is their third time on the Queen Mary. They agreed to let us in on their investigation as witnesses. They said that last time they saw full body apparitions and things move on their own." Mac nodded and emptied his drink almost biting his tongue in half. Jack and Riley shared a smirk knowing how hard it was for Mac to not protest and debunk the hunter's credentials. They agreed to get a few hours rest before the midnight meeting time.

Mac laid down and fought fatigue. He was more tired than the others because he hadn't gotten any sleep for the last 36 hours. After he heard Riley softly snoring he silently threw off his covers and started the preparations for the night.

 **MIDNIGHT**

Mac yawned bleary-eyed as he followed the others down a warren of wood paneled halls and stairs. They started on the deck. Mac shivered in the cold night air. The three investigators sat at a folding table setting up large monitor screens surrounded by piles of electrical cords and equipment. A tall too-thin woman with a short pony tail of firey red hair leaned over a table covered with cameras, digital tape recorders, EMF readers and a couple things Mac didn't recognize. He was surprised there wasn't a Ouija board.

The two men were dressed in identical black T shirts that had a cartoon ghost looming over a badly drawn globe. In a banner around the decal was the logo 'World Wide Paranormal Research Team.' The team's leader Bruce Fulson looked like a teenager. He was chubby but gangly at the same time. His round face spotted with acne was framed by a corona of frizzy staw-collored hair. Mark Cohen was as big as a half back. He was taller than Mac and had no neck. His hispanic features were lined with scars and tatoos. His eyes were dull black stones. He stood in a perpetual slouch and moved little faster than a shuffling Parkinson's patient. His handshake was surprisingly limp.

"Any of you know anything about setting up equipment?" All of his friend's turned to look at him. Mac smiled pretty sure he'd enjoy setting up with Mark more than the guided tour given by Bruce. Bruce rolled out schematics of the ship and indicated the areas they were allowed to go. The kid was most interested in the first class swimming pool evidently a girl named Jackie appeared or spoke in EVP's. Mac let Bruce babble and focused on setting up the cameras pretending to follow the kid's orders. Mac automatically adjusted the inefficient use of camera lenses and angles to ones he knew would capture everything more thoroughly. He didn't want there to be any doubt about the validity of what everyone saw. Cohen babbled about how this would be epic and go viral on youtube. Mac rolled his eyes. In 40 minutes, they were ready to start.

Mac agreed to stay with the silent hulk of Mark Cohen who spoke in little more than monosyllabic grunts. The others chose their equipment and looked at each other nervously.

"Sure you don't want to come?" Riley asked.

"Yeah, it'll be fun not hearing you explain the ghosts." Jack mocked.

"We can spell you in a couple hours, if you want." Bozer offered. Mac waved a hand.

"No, that's fine. My understanding is you see more on camera anyway."

"Sure you aren't scared there, bud?" Jack teased. Mac rolled his eyes and leaned back an eyebrow arching.

"Like you?" Jack's mouth snapped shut and he squared his shoulders.

"I'm not scared, I'm not even nervous, hell I'm not even ruffled." Diana who had odd grey lupine eyes walked behind Jack.

"You should be. A lot of sailors died on this boat." The woman had a husky voice with a gutteral accent, maybe Russian. Jack jumped and stepped away turning to face her. Mac could tell she creeped his partner out. Mac tried to hide his grin. The glare Jack shot him assured him he'd failed.

 **2:18am**

"This goes on forever!" Bozer complained. There were lights on throughout the lower levels of the ship they were able to explore. This made the endless narrow passages more creepy. The shadows and dark seemed to hang around them thick ready to grab them at any second. Since they entered the murky depths none of the four spoke above a whisper. Jack jumped at a loud bang followed by a long grinding squeal. He spun the flashlight in that direction, nothing. Jack's hairs were on end and he could feel his muscles tense for a fight or to run the hell away.

"What was that?" Bozer asked stepping behind Jack.

"Just the sounds of an old ship." Riley said rolling her eyes at Jack and Bozer's reaction.

"Boze, get out from behind me...have some pride, dude." Jack grumbled. Boze took a step to the side but didn't move away. "If it was a ghost I sure as hell wouldn't be here to hide behind, dude."

"Shush, hear that?" Diana said crouching her grey eyes seemed to glow in the dim light. All four froze and listened holding their breath. They heard a soft sigh. Jack reached out and grabbed Bozer's arm ready to throw the man in front of him if he had to.

"Just the wind?" Riley's voice was less sure.

"Probably…"Mark began. Then they could make out a small girl crying. The four looked at each other their eyes wide plates as they instinctivly moved closer together.

"Where's it coming from?" Bozer asked.

"I think over here." Riley said. She swallowed walked in that direction lifting the FLIR thermal camera. Jack swung the flashlight ready to fight-if it wasn't something supernatural. He hoped it wasn't something supernatural. His heart pounded loud in his ears.

"I'm gonna do some EVP." Bozer whispered.

"Good idea, everyone sit down so we don't give any artifact on the digital recorder." Diana said.

"Digital doesn't get artifact." Riley pointed out as she circled the room. It was the fore first class lounge. The furniture gleamed a neutral green or blue on the camera. The lights were yellow, the other hunter's red. Riley slowly circled moving silently. The others sat on the couch and recliner. Bozer yelped as the plush cushions seemed to suck him into their spongy folds.

"These sure are cushy." Bozer glared at Jack as the older man bobbed up and down like a damn kid.

"Ok, here we go. I'm going to take a second recording." Mark said, "Ready Bozer?"

"Yep." Both men started their recording.

"Uh...hi, my name's Bozer...I...uh guess it sucks being dead?"

"Oh for heaven's sake! Let me do it." Diane hissed, "If you're here could you give us a sign?" Everyone froze waiting. Jack swore the others could hear his heart beat. Riley cried out.

"Oh my God!" She gasped. The others stood up and were at her side in seconds.

"What?"

"Are you ok?"

"What did you see?"

"Did you get it on camera?" Riley ignored the overlapping babble of voices and rewound the camera.

"I was looking down that hall…" Riley's whisper trailed off her throat too dry. Everyone huddled around the camera. The far end of the corridor was a uniform dark blue except the magnesium yellow of the lights. They held their breath their hearts freezing as the clear outline of head and shoulders crossed the corridor in a surrreal floating bob.

"Holy shi…" Jack croaked.

"That can't be real." Diana said a tremor in her voice, "is it real?"

Riley rewound it again.

"Look you can see the face!" Bozer's tight voice echoed as it squeaked higher. "Oh my sweet Aunt, it looked right at us."

"I think we should check on Mac, you know he hasn't been feeling well…" Jack whispered his dilated pupils never leaving the hallway. It looked like every other corridor they'd walked through. Jack could feel someone crouching around the corner waiting, watching.

"We do have to resupply." Mark said clearing his throat, "the batteries last only a couple of hours at a time." No one argued.

 **2:37am**

Mac yawned and glanced over at Bruce. The man looked like a half melted steel statue. His eyes never left the black and white monitors as he munched on a bag of Doritos. The man didn't notice the gathering pile of crumbs building up on his prominent pecs. Mac had tried to engage the man in talk, he might as well have a conversation with a stump.

Mac glanced at the monitor in front of him and smiled. His friends had reached the junction of the lower first class lounge and hallway that led to the alleged most haunted part of the ship-the first class pool. Mac grinned as he watched Riley point at something. The others crouched around her. Mac chuckled. The resolution of the monitor was terrible; he couldn't see their faces in any detail, but if their body language was any indication they were seriously freaked out.

Mac watched them beat a retreat impressed. They made it back in less than half the time it took them to get there. He leaned back his legs stretched out. Heand pulled out a paperclip and unbent it. He looked up as boots thudded across the weathered wooden deck.

Mac turned looking surprised by the presence of the four hunters as they bent over breathing hard.

"Back already? What happened?" Jack looked up at his partner, but couldn't see anything but sincerety in Mac's puzzled expression.

"We have some fantastic evidence!" Bruce gushed excitment taking over fear.

"Really?" Mac's voice was laced with scepticism.

"Seriously dude, it's freaking...freaky!" Jack panted. Mac raised his eyes and had a vague amused smile. Jack straightened up, "Show him, Ri."

"This is scary, Mac." Riley said as she again rewound the camera.

"Even you can't refute this, Mac." Bozer said standing up. He looked a little green around the edges. Mac stood up.

"Ok, let me see it." Mac leaned forward intently studying the thermal images.

"Hmmm, play it again?" Jack and Bozer grinned at each other.

"So?" They challenged. Mac frowned and rubbed his chin.

"It's interesting, I think…" Mac stopped speaking and sighed sitting down. The others waited; Mac said nothing.

"Think what?" Jack exploded.

"Well, I would tell you what I think, but there's that bet so…" Mac shrugged. The others glared at him. Jack growled under his breath. He felt like he was being played but wasn't sure how, the bet had been his idea.

"Check the EVP's." Diana said. Bozer played his first. At first there was nothing but static then softly the sound of a child crying.

"Oh my God, that's the clearest ever captured!" Mark squirmed.

"Shush, there's more." Riley said leaning in closer, "Bozer, turn it up." Under the white noise all of them heard a long moaning sigh, then clearly as if a person was sitting beside of them a drawn out whisper.

"Jaaaaccccckkk…" Jack straightened.

"What the hell? It knows my name, why does the ghost know my name?" Jack looked at Mac begging for reassurance. Mac frowned thoughtfully and pinched his lip.

"Jaaaaaaaaaaaccccccccckkkkk...weeeeeeeeve beeeeeeeen waaaaaaaiiiiiiitiiiiingggg…" Jake went a few shades paler.

"Waiting? Waiting for what? I'm totally freaking out here. Dude, talk to me?" Jack begged. Mac thought the older man was about to fall on his knees in front of his partner.

"It is creepy." Mac agreed.

"Creepy? Creepy? CREEPY? That's all you got? I dreamed I got killed by a ghost, it ripped my face right off!" Jack's voice had a hysterical note pop up loudly.

"I'm sure there's a perfectly good, calm, non-terrifying explanation, right Mac?" Riley asked. Mac looked into her dilated pupils.

"I'm sure there is." Mac nodded.

"C'mon, brother let me know some dead chick doesn't have it out for me!" Mac shrugged and threw up his arms.

"Wait, let's play the other one." Bozer said.

"It'll just be the same…" Diana protested. Mark turned on his digital recorder. There was spitting static then a loud old lady's giggle blasted loudly…" Mark snapped off the recorder. His face was waxen white.

"No one...nothing...that's…" The kid babbled.

"I think we should leave, I feel sick." Bozer said. Everyone looked at him. He did look like he was going to puke. Mac moved out of his chair and guided his roomie to sit in it. Mac offered a bottle of warm water. Bozer took a sip and leaned forward elbows on knees.

"Play the rest of it." Diana said.

"Oh hell no, I think we've heard enough." Riley growled.

"I don't know. If ghosts were out for my blood, I'd want to listen to what they wanted, or go home." Mac offered unable to keep amusement out of his voice. Jack gave him the full Delta glare. The older man jutted out his chin.

"Yeah, that's fine. Go ahead play the rest, I'm not afraid of some voice on tape." Tape? Mac rolled his eyes but didn't say anything. Mark stared at Jack then took a deep breath and nodded determined to see it through.

Again there was a long crackle of static. Then the sound of a woman crying.

"Aaaaaaalllloooooonnnnneeeee...whhhyyyyy diiiiiiid yooooouuuu leeeeeaaaaaveemeeeebeeeehiiiiiiiiinnnnnnnnd...Jaaaaaaaaaccccckkkkkkk…" Then came heartwrenching sobs of despair that tappered off to breathy sighs then white noise followed by silence. They all looked at each other.

"You said there's a ghost named Jackie." Bozer said looking up his eyes alight with excitment. Jack let out a long breath.

"That's right! It's not talking to me at all, how could ghosts know my name? That's impossible, right there."

"How could Jackie cry about being abandoned by herself?" Riley crossed her arms her brow furrowed. Jack huffed.

"Maybe they get confused after they kick? Maybe she dated a dude name Jack, who knows?" Mac smiled and turned to face Bruce. Bruce hadn't changed position just continued to stare at the monitors and munch his chips. Mac shook his head wondering how he got into this gig.

"We should go down to the pool?" Mark enthused.

"Absolutely!" Bozer said standing up.

"Whoa, Boze, I thought you felt sick?" Mac frowned. Bozer grinned at him and leaned back preening.

"It was probably just the presence of the dear departed spirit, you know I've always been sensitive to the unseen." Mac sighed and nodded.

"Ok, do you mind if I tag along?" Mac stood up and stretched. He'd been up so long he ached everywhere. Jack, Boze and Riley looked at each other and smiled. They couldn't wait to see MacGyver terrified out of his mind.

 **4:29am**

Mac scanned the pool room with a gut sadness. Once decorated with art deco tiles and gilt fixtures the room was an abandoned skeleton of it's former glory. Chances were the owners of the Queen Mary let it go into cracked ruin to sell the legends and rumors of ghosts.

"Look at this." Riley whispered. Everyone huddled around the thermal cam. The room went from it's normal ambient orange down to a dark purple-blue in less than a minute.

"That's a 30 degree temperature drop!" Diana hissed. Mac rubbed his arms.

"It is kina chilly." He said in his normal voice. The others jumped and ducked as if an explosion banged into the ground under them. Mac's mouth quirked up at the corners. The others turned back to their huddle. They decided to listen to the EVP. No one could hear anything but white noise. There was a loud bang and another loud creak. The ship rocked gently. The entire group except Mac whirled scanning the darkness around them panting with terror. Mac was going to point out it was an old ship, but couldn't decide if that counted as something 'sciency' or not. He shrugged and slowly began to pace moving closer to admire the etching still visible on some of the tiles.

"OHMIGOD! OHMYGOD! OHMYGOD!" Bozer squeaked pointing at the far end of the pool. Lit by one of the recessed golden lights they all clearly saw a white mist slowly coalesce into the wavy outline of of a woman or girl. Riley gasped as she aimed the thermal camera at the aparition. It was colder than the ambient coolness.

"I think I'm going to be sick." Bozer managed.

"Me too." Jack muttered.

"Do you smell cigar smoke?" Diana asked. They all smelled it.

"I gotta go puke!" Bozer squawed before whirling and sprinting back the way they came. It started a herd panic. All of them broke into a blind rush out except Mac. He strolled along the pool and sighed. Mission accomplished.

 *******There will be one more chapter to explain exactly what Mac did.**


	3. Chapter 3

Dawn was breaking over the town of Long Beach by the time the team headed back to their rooms. As they reached their deck, Jack suggested they checkout and go home. Mac yawned. He could tell the other three were too wired, or he thought with an inner smirk, too creeped out to sleep. He shrugged. Mac just wanted to sleep. He'd been up over forty something hours; he'd given up counting when the numbers of his watch skidded into some other blurry language.

He sat in the back seat with a pale Bozer. He fell asleep while the other three babbled about how things have changed now they had tangible recorded proof of spirits and life after death. Bozer shook Mac awake. Mac looked up at him owlishly. Bozer grinned.

"We're home, roomie. Unless you want to sleep out in Jack's car." Mac nodded and rubbed his face. He ached with the need for more sleep. He stumbled out of the car surprised to find his go bag already brought in by Jack. Mac yawned, tripping over the entryway rug. Bozer steadied him, "you're sleepier than us and we've been up two days in a row." It hit Mac like cold water. Mac straightened too tired to reel in his tongue.

"Some of us, have been up 40 plus hours straight worried." Mac grumbled. He yanked his arm free and stomped to his room. It occured to him that his reply would seen nonsequiter to Bozer, but he was too tired to care. He slammed his door, tossed off his shoes then fell into bed asleep long before he hit the soft matress.

Bozer watched Mac storm away with his mouth hanging open. Jack and Riley who were drinking coffee like birds at a bird feeder followed Mac with their eyes.

"What the hell was that?" Riley asked. Bozer shook his head joining the others and pouring some coffee.

"He's probably over tired." Bozer offered. Riley shrugged closing her eyes basking in the bitter smell of her coffee.

"He's probably pissed over having to hold in all that knowledge he wanted to share last night." She said blissed out with the first sip. Jack shot the pair an angry glare.

"Or maybe he's got a legitamite reason to be pissed at us." Bozer and Riley stared at Jack surprised. Jack rolled his eyes and sipped his coffee.

"What did we do?" Bozer asked frowning. He glanced over to Mac's closed door. Thinking over the past couple days, he hadn't noticed anything weird with Mac. Jack leaned on the counter wiping his face. Riley bit her lip frowning. She froze and raised her eyes, she looked at Jack her eyes heavy with guilt.

"We didn't invite him to the murder house." She groaned. Boze looked at her surprised.

"Mac's not that sensitive. He'd understand." Jack sighed.

"Boze, he would if we talked to him or told him where we were going." Bozer thought a long minute then huffed out.

"Crap, I didn't even think…"

"Me either." Riley set down her cup.

"I have to talk to him."

"Me too." Jack stopped them both with his arm out.

"Let him sleep, we all have some industrial appologizing to do. I think we'll mess it up less if we all get some rest." Bozer looked at the others his eyes wide.

"I...I'm not sure I can sleep…"

"I don't want to go home...alone…"

"I'd like to stay here…"

All three shared sheepish glances. Bozer laughed.

"Why don't we all hang here and try to sleep?"

Mac slept for ten hours before he woke up having to pee. He rolled over and glared at his room and the world in general feeling almost hungover and rolled in sand. He sat up and rubbed his eyes. He stood up staggering to the door. After he was done, Mac blearily looked in the mirror as he washed his hands. He ran a finger along his rough jaw. Yawning, he brushed his teeth and shaved then returned to his room and put on his torn work jeans and T shirt. He walked out to the kitchen and blinked in surprise. Both couches were made up with bedding and another bedroll stretched across the front of the smaller couch. Mac's mouth quirked with amusement.

Mac fixed himself a bowl of cereal and glass of juice. As he woke up he could hear soft voices out on the deck. Mac washed his dishes leaving them to dry and crossed to the deck. He stopped at the door.

"I gotta tell ya I'm still freaked out!" Jack said.

"No kidding, you know all that thermal camera stuff we got and EVP's they've gone viral."

"Really? Let me see...holy crap over a million views!"

"They think we're liars."

"What? Why?" Jack's annoyance was obvious. Mac rubbed his forehead feeling the tinge of a headache.

"No one can refute what we saw. Lots of people have theories how this or that could be faked, but no one knows how all of it could be fake."

"And when they can't figure it out, they call us liars…"

"But we…" Mac frowned at the genuine hurt in Jack's voice. He decided this prank had gone far enough. Mac stepped to go to his friends then paused. They had kept him out of the loop because he took the fun out of when he explained everything, did they really want to know? Mac itched the back of his head at a loss. His shoulders slumped and he yawned retreating. He found the current _Journal of Theoretical Physics_ and pushed aside bedding sprawling on the long couch. Sometimes arcane physics was easier to understand than his friends.

The three on the deck sipped from cans of soda.

"I can't believe they think we're lying. Why would we lie?" Jack glared at the skyline of Los Angeles behind them. Riley smiled at the older man a softness in her smile no one else ever saw.

"A million plus views equals a chunk of money."

"Yeah, but we don't get it." Bozer protested around a yawn. The three of them were exhausted. None of them had been able to do more than toss and turn, jumping to every creak and tap they heard.

"Yeah it all goes to those investigator dudes."

"Well if it makes you feel better, they're the ones being called liars." Riley said with a chuckle. Bozer and Jack looked at her surprised. She shrugged. Jack grinned.

"They kinda deserve it." He said mischief in his eyes.

"Yeah? Why?" Bozer asked rubbing his eye and fighting a yawn. Jack shrugged.

"How do we know they aren't?" Riley stared at him a long minute.

"You're telling me, you think they faked it all?" Jack shrugged.

"They could have." Jack said. Bozer moaned.

"That would mean we got played." Riley scowled and shook her head.

"No, they were just as freaked out as us, except Bruce or Mark-whatever the big guy's name was, he just sat in front of the monitors like a statue." Riley argued. She finished her can of Coke.

"Want more?" Jack offered. She shook her head.

"Any more caffeine and I'll never sleep again." Jack nodded and finished his Mountain Dew. Bozer twisted his bottom lip and leaned forward.

"Maybe we did get played." He said. Jack and Riley stared at him. Bozer smiled and grinned. Jack was the first to get his meaning and whipped his head to look at the house behind him.

"You think Mac did this?" Jack's voice lifted an octave in surprise. A second later he shook his head realizing how obvious it should have been.

"That explains why he was so calm last night." Riley said chuckling; she bit her lip, "but how? No one has been able to figure it all out online. Bozer and Jack stared at her until she rolled her eyes and nodded. "Touche."

"I'm gonna shake it out of the little brat." Jack said. Under his annoyance they easily made out the older man's admiration and a touch of pride.

"Wait Jack!" Jack paused looking at Bozer confused. Bozer looked down at his feet.

"We sorta deserved it." Bozer reminded the others. There was a heartbeat of silence then Jack shrugged.

"Even more reason to talk to Mac."

The trio were surprised to find Mac lost in a fat scientific journal. Mac didn't look up. Jack frowned. Either he was that engrossed in the technobabble or he was ignoring them. Jack walked over and kicked the couch. Mac let out a squawk and jumped. He spun to look at them with wide owl's eyes. He sat back smiling.

"You guys just about gave me a heart attack!" Mac gasped. Jack grabbed Mac's feet and pushed them to the floor so he could sit on the end of the couch. Mac studied him frowning at the concern in his partner's dark eyes. Mac turned to sit rightside on the sofa and eyed Riley and Bozer. They wouldn't meet his eyes. "What's wrong? Are you guys ok?" His three teammates looked at him surprised which made Mac more worried. Before he could ask, Jack held up a hand.

"No, bud, we're fine. We just wanna know if you're ok." Mac sat back his eyes bouncing from face to face. He felt a small pit forming in the base of his gut.

"Ok. Why?"

"Look, Mac, we're sorry ok." Bozer blurted. Mac frowned at him confused.

"For what?" Jack rolled his eyes. His best friend the genius, the idiot. He put a hand on Mac's arm.

"Look, we screwed up ok. We should have told you we were going to the murder house, and it was...mean to make you shut up about all that sciency stuff." Mac smiled and he raised an eyebrow.

"Mean?"

"Yeah, mean and bitchy and so not cool." Riley added. Mac's mouth dropped a little at the guilt in the woman's eyes. Mac raised a hand.

"Look, I appreciate it, I really do, but I was just being overly sensitive and…" Jack huffed, leaned over and draped an arm over his partner's shoulders. Mac growled and shoved Jack away; Jack pulled him closer.

"Just accept the damn appology." Jack said. Mac glared at him then shook his head.

"Fine. Appology accepted, thank you." The other three relaxed, "now get off me, you gorilla!" Mac grunted pushing at Jack harder. Jack pulled him into a headlock.

"Sure the second you tell us how you rigged all that stuff?"

"Rigged?" Mac's voice was muffled as he grunted with effort but slowly managed to roll out of the man's grip. Jack let him go.

"C'mon man, we know it had to be you, tell us how so we can stop freaking out! Please?" Mac rubbed his neck and glared at Jack. "Pleeease?" Jack begged. Mac laughed and brushed his hair back into place.

"Two things before I admit any self incrimination." Mac said eyeing the three of them. They nodded. Riley and Bozer plopped onto the smaller couch.

"First, are you sure you want me to spoil it?" Jack studied him surprised to see the hint of insecurity in Mac's eyes.

"Seriously, dude. We like it when you explain stuff, just not…"

"In the middle of a haunted house...got it." Mac nodded.

"And the second thing?" Riley asked. Mac's smile turned wicked.

"I believe you all owe me the winnings of a bet?" The team groaned but dug into their pockets and handed Mac money.

"Dude, I only got a ten, float me?" Mac made a show of scratching his chin and thinking. "C'mon, man. I bought donuts yesterday!"

"Donuts?"

"Where's the donuts?"

"Ok, a) I only had one donut, b) you took all the rest home, and c) you still owe me for the last three times you lost a bet. Maybe you should learn not to bet against me?" Mac grinned as Jack squirmed. Finally Mac let him off with an absent wave, "Nah, that's fine, Jack. So what do you want to know?"

"How did you make the EVP do that?"

"Did you set this up all alone, before hand?"

"How'd you get that steam chick to glare at me?" Mac threw up both hands.

"Ok, ok. One at a time. Yes I set this up alone, no I did not go aboard before you, and Boze, there was no steam chick," Before Bozer and Jack could break into an argument with Mac, Riley stepped in.

"Ok let's start at the beginning. The digital camera." Mac leaned back. His eyes gleamed with the excitement he always got when explaining something.

"Well, the shape you saw cross the hallway was a mylar balloon."  
"A balloon? No it had head and shoulders and turned to look at me!"

"Bozer, humans are naturally wired to see patterns where there aren't any. It's called apophenia. You saw a person because you were expecting to see a person."

"Still doesn't explain the camera."

"Thermal cameras read heat signatures that are reflected back to them, mylar reflects back the IR beam the camera sends back differently than the things around it. I painted it black so you couldn't see it."

"But you were up on deck. How'd you get it to cross just when we were looking down there?" Riley asked.

"You didn't finally get that quantum transporter thingy to finally work did you?" Jack laughed. Mac gritted his teeth.

"For the last time, Jack. That was one molecule, one! "

"So you built a timer?" Bozer guessed wanting to bring the partner's back to the conversation. Mac shot Jack a final glare.

"I didn't need to. Did you notice the air flow system in our cabins?" The others looked at him blankly. Mac sighed and rubbed his forehead, "In ships like the Queen Mary heat from the engines were vented through an air system which fed to every cabin on every deck. It helped keep the passengers warm when they travelled across the cold Atlantic, or just after the Edwardian era when they were finally fitted with air conditioners the vents would keep the ship cool. On the Queen Mary…"

"Yadda, yadda, yadda...vents in ever room, got it." Mac sighed.

"Well I just chose a short corridor and opened the vent. I made sure the door on the other side of the hall was closed and let the ballon float on the moving air currents."

"You're lucky it didn't come down to the lounge." Bozer said. Mac shrugged.

"The helium in the mylar expanded in the heat and rose higher staying in the warmer currents."

"So it wouldn't have gone down the hall?"

"It would eventually, but for the air in the corridor would take time to blend together enough to stop the eddying effect." Mac smiled as the others stared at him. He got up and got an orange soda. No one else wanted one. He sat back down and popped the lid taking a long drink.

"Ok, so floating balloon got it, what about the EVPs? It's impossible to record two different things at the same time." Riley said crossing her arms. Mac took another sip and set the soda on the coffee table.

"Actually when you digitally record something you are actually recording a lot of data that you don't need." Mac saw the blank looks and frowned trying to find a way to dumb down theoretical physics for his friends.

"Ok, you know what analog is, right?"

"The good sounding stuff, LPs, CDs…" Jack said grinning. Mac scowled at him.

"No, Jack, CDs are digital you know as in 'compact disc.'" Riley interrupted. Jack shrugged.

"Anything sounds better than that canned stuff they keep up in the cloud or whatever."

"Jack…"

"ANYway, Mac go on." Bozer said. Mac shot him a grateful smile.

"Well, Jack you're right LPs are analogue," Jack stuck his tongue out at Riley. Riley rolled her eyes, "they're made when the movement of sound waves are run through a speaker and amplified so the airwaves caused by the vibrations can be melted into the plastic record, with me so far?" They didn't look completly lost. Mac pressed on.

"Now digital kinda works the same way. The sound waves come in but instead of being amplified they run through a converter which changes them to a series of numbers which are then stored on a disc or chip. When you go back to play them the numbers are run through another converter and you hear the exact same code converted into sound again, got it?"

"But the copies are exact." Riley said frowning. Mac grinned and pointed at her with a smile.

"Yes, and no. The converters have filters which remove a predetermined range on the sound system, but the analogue signal coming in contains the full range. If you buy cheap digital recorders or if they get old the filters let more layers of sounds in. Now recorders are the same as any other receiver, they pick up the loudest signal first, if there are more than one signal the filter takes time to process and decide which one is stronger and if it's in the pre-programmed range. It tests the sample in pulses." The others were giving him blank stares again. Mac took a sip of orange soda then let out a breath.

"Ok, to simplify. If you have a strong signal in the programmed range, the filters will let it through to the converter. Then after converted it will go through another filter back to the speakers and come out, right?"

"During that translation process there is a lot of different types of artifact that comes through. Most digital devices today actually have a correcting program layered onto the signal as it is translated."

"So you put a stronger signal to increase the artifact?" Riley slowly asked. Mac sighed running a hand through his hair.

"Technically sort of," Mac hurried on at their increased confusion, "The white noise was a signal strong enough to cover anything else that would be recorded in the room except voices close to the recorders. On top of that I put slightly weaker signals in a normally non-audible range that pulsed in time with the filter's scans…" Mac waited breathless.

"I think I get it." Bozer said his brow furrowed. Riley sat back smiling.

"I get it too although I have no idea how you figured out how to make all that work," Mac blushed a shade pinker and busied himself with taking another drink, "I mean only a computer could figure up the timing and range of sound."

"Luckily I already made one." Mac said. He glanced at Jack sure the older man was gonna sprain something trying to follow Mac's explanation, "you ok, big guy?" Jack huffed and shook his head giving up.

"You sent funky signals to the recorders or something." Jack said shrugging taking another sip of soda. Mac smiled and fist-bumped the older man. Jack sorta kept up, Mac was proud of him.

"What do you mean you made a computer already?" Bozer asked getting up to get another soda.

"A more sophisticated translator actually…"

"Sparky!" Riley said almost jumping with excitment. Mac took a sip and raised it in salute to her. Jack put down his can and held up both hands.

"Ok, I get how you made creepy voices, sort of, how did you get two different signals on two different recorders in the same room?"

"I had two digital players of my own, small voice activated ones wired to two of the lights on opposite sides of the room. The recordings overlaying the white noise was in two separate bandwiths. No matter where you were in the room one of the signals would reach you slightly faster than the other and the filters would read that as a stronger signal than the other."

"So the only way they would have sounded the same…"Riley began.

"Is if they literally on top of each other." There was a long pause. Mac looked outside. It was a perfect autumn day. Mac sighed suddenly filled with a longing he couldn't name. The others picked up on his change of mood instantly.

"Mac, what's up?" Jack asked concerned. Mac looked at him and realized the other three were staring at him. He waved a hand.

"Nothing, now what's left, the pool, right?" Riley and Bozer leaned forward excited to hear Mac's explanation. Jack studied Mac with a frown. His MacGyver radar was pinging. Something was up and Jack didn't think it had anything to do with haunted ships.

"Yeah, how'd you make that steam chick turn around and look at me?" Bozer demanded. Mac sighed.

"Boze, you aren't listening. There was no steam chick, it was a pattern your mind made."

"But Mac, we all saw the steam." Riley argued.

"Frozen vapor actually."

"Frozen vapor?" Jack asked with a raised eyebrow, "like a humidifier?"

"Like dry ice." Mac said finishing his can of soda.

"That's why the room went suddeny cold." Riley said sitting back smiling. Mac nodded and looked at Bozer. Bozer laughed and stood up.

"I knew that! Of course it was dry ice!"

"But wait, it was warm in the pool when we first got there, it didn't get cold until we were in there awhile."

"And you sure as hell didn't have any on you when we went down there?" Jack added. Mac stood up and stretched.

"No, that was the simple part. Dry ice in an aluminum foil wrapped pill box that opened on a timer. I put it upside down over a can of water." His three teammates gaped at him. Mac picked up the empty cans and took them to the kitchen.

"That's so simple…"Riley said. Mac tuned out their voices and turned his back to them. He leaned on the sink looking out at the early afternoon sun. Sometimes Mac regretted living in LA. He loved the turn of the seasons especially the turn of the leaves up in the mountains. He thought about trips he'd take with his grandfather, just driving around looking at scenery. Mac sighed and rinsed out the cans puting them in recycling. He turned around and walked into Jack. Mac bounced backward startled.

"What the hell!" He grunted. Jack had his arms crossed and was giving Mac one of those x-ray diagnostic glares he'd perfected over their long friendship.

"So what's up?" Jack asked softly. Riley and Bozer were in the living room arguing over movie effects and which horror movies were the best. Mac looked at Jack genuinely confused.

"Nothing, why? You ok?" Jack shook his head and put a hand on Mac's shoulder.

"Look, bud. I know we left you behind and didn't tell you…"

"Jack, I told you it's fine, I was just being sensitive." Mac took a step around his partner.

"Maybe there's a reason you were feeling sensitive?" Jack asked. Mac frowned and turned to look at the older man confused and a little angry.

"What do you mean by that?" Jack stepped out of Mac's space.

"Look, Mac. You've been thinking about something looking as sad as a puppy in a window…"

"A puppy again? Seriously?" Mac growled. Jack continued as if Mac hadn't spoken. Riley and Bozer heard the tensness in the two men's voices, looked at each other and walked into the kitchen.

"...so what's been eating at you?"

"Nothing!" Mac said raising his voice with agravation.

"You're thinking of something." Jack pushed.

"I'm always thinking of something!" Mac retorted. The defensive elevation in his voice surprised Mac.

"What's going on? Mac, you ok?" Bozer asked. Mac rolled his eyes.

"I am fine!" He went to step around Jack then paused looking back at the window. He smiled and looked at Jack.

"You know, big guy. You might be right."

"Sorry, what?" Riley blurted. Jack sent her an annoyed glare.

"You don't have to sound so surprised, I happen to be right most of the time," He looked back at Mac's face, "exactly what am I right about?"

"You know since I've been trying to contact my dad, I've been thinking...remembering…" Mac frowned his gut churned as he tried to think of how to put his feelings into words. The others waited patiently. Mac huffed and looked up.

"Why don't we go to pick apples?"

"Uh, what now?" Riley asked. Mac shrugged and itched the back of his neck wishing he hadn't brought it up.

"Yeah, there's a little orchard down in Oak Glen," Bozer said excited. Mac looked at him relieved. He could always rely on Boze to understand what he meant.

"But why? You can get a bag for five bucks at Gelson's." Riley scoffed. Mac faltered and looked down. It was a stupid idea, he didn't know why he'd suggested it. Jack put a hand on Mac's shoulder before the kid could turn away.

"No, I think that's an awesome idea, dude. Trees, fresh air, apple cider…"

"Bugs." Riley frowned. She didn't mind the woods or jungles when she had no choice but to traipse through them, but going out to climb trees and pick fruit sounded more like work than fun. She felt Jack's eyes bore into hers.

"No, Riley, it's great family time." Riley opened her mouth then took in the longing in Mac's eyes. She raised her shoulders and smiled.

"Well you had me at apple cider." Riley was rewarded by one of Mac's rare full wattage smiles.

"Ok, let's gather our stuff and hit the road. We should still have some daylight and all day tomorrow before we have to come back and sugar up the munchins." Jack said. Bozer laughed.

"Yeah, like we ever had time to unpack! One thing though…" Bozer said facing Mac his face turning serious. Mac frowned.

"What?"

"No and I mean absolutely, positively pinky-swear, NO ghosts or voices or apparitions or whatever, promise?" Mac laughed and nodded.

"I promise."

 ******** And there you have it, HAPPY HOLLOWEEN! Thanks for reading especially thanks to those who took the time to comment (or threaten, LOL) me to help shape this story. I have done to make Mac's hacks as theoretically realistic as possible, however, I am neither a physicist or electrical engineer-forgive and ignore any glaring errors. Thanks so much.**


End file.
